Ross Stewart was proud of his team after they resisted a second-half comeback from Hull Ionians to triumph 57-31 in National League One.

Defensive problems and a high penalty count, particularly in the second half, allowed Hull to score 14 unanswered points to get back in the game, but six first-half tries, and a composed last 10 minutes were enough to register a bonus-point win.

Director of rugby Stewart revealed that despite their emphatic first-half attacking display and a comfortable lead, he had some harsh words for his team at the break, which could have had an adverse effect.

He added: “As coaches you review what you say at half time, I don’t know if what I said was the right thing, we’ll review it as a team. But it’s about me developing and learning too.

“Hull came out and didn’t give us an inch in the second half and were a bit more clinical, but we gave away a lot of penalties.

“I’m really proud of the team, though, we could have wobbled but we didn’t.

“Winning your home games is massive and we’ve been good at doing that this year, but we won’t rest on our laurels, Blaydon next week will be just as tough.”

It was the perfect start for Cambridge after George Furbank got on the score sheet after just five minutes.

Hull reduced the deficit two minutes later when Lee Millar slotted over a penalty.

Cambridge then won a scrum against the head and, after an extended period of pressure, Tom Trotter was able to squeeze over. Green converted to make it 12-3.

However, despite their early dominance, there was an indication of Cambridge’s defensive problems when Ali Thomson got his first try of the day for the visitors after a rolling maul following a line-out allowed him to touch down in the corner. Millar, who would not miss a kick all afternoon, converted.

It was Cambridge’s packs’ turn to dominate next, as referee Shane Lewis awarded a penalty try after Hull collapsed a maul on their own line.

It looked at one point as though Cambridge were going to run away with it, as they secured their fourth, and bonus point try, on 24 minutes after Trotter found Matt Hema running a brilliant line.

Cambridge’s problems all game were summed up in Hull’s next score. First they gave away a penalty at the breakdown, before Hull scored a second try directly from a rolling maul after a line-out, which was converted to make it 24-17.

For all their struggles defensively, however, Cambridge remained strong going forward, and scored two well worked tries through Cameron Ruddock and Hema to make it 38-17 at the break.

Defending in the right-hand corner continued to be problematic for Cambridge, and the continuous penalty count allowed Hull to score two tries through Thomson and Millar in the opening 20 minutes to close the deficit to just seven points.

However, with 10 minutes to go Cambridge regained some composure, and after a patient build up, which started with winning a scrum against the head, replacement Stef Liebenberg was able to cross, before Albert Portsmouth added another try.

Cambridge would then score another, somewhat fortuitous try, in the last play of the game when, despite it looking like there was a knock on in the build up, Hutchinson took advantage of a three-on-one to score.